Vols fans, this will help you plan your Neyland trip as Trump heads to the Texas game

President Donald Trump’s attendance at the Sept. 26 showdown between No. 13 Tennessee and No. 1 Texas is complicating an already huge spectacle.

In short, allow extra travel time if you’re driving to the game and be flexible because your normal route may be blocked. Know what you can’t bring into Neyland Stadium (the Secret Service has additional restrictions beyond those for a regular game). Definitely give yourself plenty of extra time to make it through security screening.

We’ve got more details to help you make your game day experience as smooth as possible.

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Texas fan takes photos of Vol Navy in the Tennessee River before long awaited Tennessee football game against Texas at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 25, 2026.

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Roads will be packed as 100,000 fans make their way to campus to see ESPN’s “College GameDay” at 9 a.m. or for the noon kickoff.

If you have a Tennessee football parking pass, the university provides you with information about the specific route to take to get to your spot. If you don’t have a Tennessee football parking pass, it’s a good option to head to the garages in downtown Knoxville. You can walk to the stadium or take a KAT shuttle for $10.

Closer to kickoff, a presidential motorcade will be coming through. As it makes its way from McGhee Tyson Airport to the stadium, temporary road closures, traffic-control measures and adjustments to pedestrian routes will be implemented.

Ramps and connections to Alcoa Highway will be closed for the motorcade and there will be rolling roadblocks on Interstate 40, Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesperson Mark Nagi said.

University of Tennessee Police Chief Sean Patterson encouraged attendees to arrive “significantly earlier than they would for a typical game.” The Neyland Stadium exterior security perimeter will open at 8 a.m. and gates open at 9 a.m.

To reward fans who arrive early, UT is cutting prices by 50% on all concessions inside the stadium, including alcohol, until 10 a.m.

Patterson said attendees should have their mobile tickets pulled up on their phones as they walk up. Attendees will not be able to re-enter the stadium once their ticket has been scanned.

“Please exercise patience tomorrow,” Patterson said.

The Secret Service will conduct enhanced screening at checkpoints around Neyland Stadium. Patterson said the screening will resemble “TSA-style” security checks.

Guests are encouraged to travel light and review the University of Tennessee Athletics clear bag policy and the Secret Service’s list of prohibited items list before arriving on campus.

Prohibited items will not be allowed inside Neyland Stadium, and there are no storage locations if you bring something that’s not allowed.

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Tennessee has released a schedule of the day’s events that starts at 6:30 a.m. and runs through kickoff, listed at 12:10 p.m.

ESPN “College GameDay” pit opens outside Ayres Hall – 6:30 a.m.

Neyland Stadium extended perimeter opens – 8 a.m.

Will call opens at Gate 21 – 8 a.m.

ESPN “College GameDay” – 9-11 a.m. (Ayres Hall) with the final hour (11 a.m. – noon) inside Neyland Stadium

Pride of the Southland Band march – 10:20 a.m.

Pride of the Southland Band pregame performance begins – 11:56 a.m.

National anthem/flyover – 11:59 a.m. with two F-35 Lightning aircraft from the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and a KC-135 refueling plane from the 134th Air Refueling Wing at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Blount County.

Vols Run Through the T – 12:07 p.m.

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